1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to an herbal and amino acid supplement designed to ease the discomfort of cystitis, urinary tract infection and premenstrual syndrome.
2. Description Prior Art
Medical doctors currently advise two types of treatments for cystitis: synthetic medications and surgery. Cystitis is inflammation of the bladder, usually occurring secondary to infections that involve associated organs (kidney, prostate, urethra). Lesion or ulcerative areas form in the lining of the bladder causing painful-frequent urination, abdominal pain, stress and severe depression. Cystitis sufferers find themselves frequenting the bathroom up to 60 times a day. The state of California provides permanent disability to women with long term documented histories of cystitis. Sufferers find themselves relying upon pain medications and antidepressants to get through the day. Work, relationships and normal daily activities become things of the past. Etiology of cystitis is still unknown. The four medications being used at this time to treat the symptoms of cystitis are Elmiron, DMSO, Hydroxyzine and Cystistat. These medications offer temporary relief but are not without side effects. Both DMSO and Cystistat are medications that need to be instilled into the bladder through means of catheterization. The user inserts a small flexible tube into the urethra and instills the medication into the bladder then holds it in as long as possible. Both of these medications attack the bacteria and free radical cells in the lining of the bladder then remove them as urination occurs. The method has been proven safe but with side effects. Those are: exacerbation of urinary frequency and urgency, odor, bladder irritation, bleeding of the gums and potential for increased infection during insertion of the catheter. The length of time the user holds the medication in, improves the benefits but is not worth the pain and discomfort. Treatment is 1-3 times a week for 2-4 months before symptoms begin to subside. Both Cystistat and DMSO are still in experimental stages. Medication costs are up to $200.00 per 4 installations a month plus $20.00 for FDA clearance fees. Additional treatments will cost up to $150.00 each. Elmiron and Hydroxyzine are two medications to be taken by mouth 1-3 times a day. Its is necessary to increase doses until adequate levels are reached in the body. This is estimated at 6-8 weeks. Elmiron has been shown to decrease the inflammation in the bladder wall reducing the symptoms of urination frequency and painful urination. Side effects may include hair loss, rash, head ache, swelling of the extremities, stomach upset and diarrhea. Hydroxyzine has been shown to decrease the histamine release in the body. Its benefits are unknown, yet cystitis sufferers have noticed some relief while taking this medication. Side effects are dry mouth , sedation, increased depression in patients diagnosed with concurrent depression and fetal abnormalities have been seen in animal studies. Medication costs are up to $160.00 for a one month supply. Taking these two drugs for eight weeks to four months may be required before reaching the maximum effect.
The two types of surgical procedures available at this time are Augmentation Cystoplasty and Urinary Diversions. Both surgical procedures are generally considered the treatment of last resort by cystitis sufferers and their doctors. The obvious reasons are that surgery is invasive and irreversible and many sufferers who choose to have surgery, do not improve. Both procedures have been proven to be painfull, debilitating and are considered drastic measures for relieving the discomfort of cystitis. In augmentation cystoplasty, part or most of the bladder is surgically removed and replaced with a section of the patients bowel, thus forming a new bladder. The new bladder stores and collects the urine but does not empty as the original bladder did by routine urination. The patient will need to catheterize themselves when urgency to urinate occurs. The patients willingness and ability to perform clean intermittent catheterization postoperatively, are critical to both long-term success of the procedure and patient satisfaction For example, if the bladder fills and is not emptied when sensation to urinate occurs, stretching of the bladder tissue and surgical site could cause a tear in the scar and a leakage of urine. Bowel tissue does not stretch like bladder tissue does. Repeat surgery is the only treatment to fix this leak. So holding it for a more convenient moment, is out of the question. Self catheterization, inserting a long soft plastic tubing into the urethra to allow for manual removal of urine, can take up to 30 minutes to perform. A clean surface to lay out all the supplies that are needed, is also necessary to prevent infection. Side effects are continued urinary frequency and urgency, repeat surgery due to tears in the surgical site, complete shut down of the bladder requiring a stoma to be placed in the patients abdomen where an outside bag is connected for urine collection, infection, bleeding and possibly no improvement at all from previous symptoms. Urinary diversions consist of three different types: Ileal conduit, ureterostomy and continent urinary diversion. Heal conduit involves taking a portion (6 to 8 inches) of the bowel and using one end of the section to create a opening in the abdomen. Then the ureters, the passage way for the urine to travel from the kidney to the bladder, are implanted into the piece of bowel bypassing the bladder and an external pouch is worn to collect the urine. This serves as a new passageway for the urine to flow to the outside of the abdomen. Continent Urinary diversion is a reservoir/pouch that collects and evacuates urine through a continent stoma or opening in the abdomen. It is constructed using various portions of the small and large intestine. The portion of the intestine is used to create a new bladder (reservoir) inside of the abdomen. Since the reservoir is internal, the patient need not wear an external pouch. The reservoir is catheterized at scheduled times to drain urine. It must be irrigated to maintain patency. This is done by instilling acidic sterile water into the new bladder on a daily basis. Once again, each of these procedures requires invasive surgery. Side effects are infection, bleeding and closure of the stoma requiring repeat surgery. Frequent catheterization is necessary and an inconvenience. Self image plays an important role in recovery by this procedure. Depression and anxiety have been documented during the 8-10 days of hospital stay post surgery. The patient is then medicated with antidepressants and counseling is recommended
Urinary tract infections (UTI) have been treated for years with the antibiotics Bactrim, Macrodantin and a combination of Sulfa drugs that offer quick relief, but for those sufferers of chronic UTI's these same antibiotics after several prescriptions become useless as the body forms a resistance to them. Side effects of these antibiotics include, and are limited to, body rash, abdominal pain, nausea, headache, lupus, shock, kidney disease, liver disease, lung disease, insomnia, weakness and rare deaths. Urinary tract infections are caused by germs that invade the tract causing symptoms of frequent-urgent need to urinate, severe burning sensation upon urination, bloating or water retention and stress. Dietary changes and hygiene changes along with encouragement to drink 2000-3000 cc of water per day, that is twelve 8 oz glasses, leaves the sufferer full and visiting the bathroom too often to enjoy normal daily routines. UTI sufferers become dependent on pain relievers to alleviate the pain. Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a combination of symptoms that for years have gone untreated. Symptoms occur a few days prior to onset of the menstrual cycle. Emotional unpredictability, depression, weight gain from fluid retention, breast tenderness and bouts of crying, anger and migraines headaches can be seen during this period. Over this past two decades, more attention has been focused on this condition. Antidepressant and mood elevators such as Prozac, Valium, Xanax, Elival, Zoloft and Effexor have been prescribed, more than any other class of medications in the USA, for the relief of symptoms. Yet most doctors will tell you this is a band-aid treatment. The side effects of these medications then requires additional medication. Side effects include but are not limited to, general malaise, insomnia, nervousness, dry mouth, headache, nausea, hallucinations, blurred vision, fast heart rate, chest pain and sexual dysfunction. The sufferers finds themselves lifeless and absent of normal emotions.